At an early age I had learnt that most men were scum or given the chance could be scummy. It taught me a hard lesson but an invaluable one nonetheless. I learnt how to detect the worst of the lot and how to protect myself from them. Once I’d already learnt that lesson, I’d become untouchable. The distance I would put between myself and someone after I had sensed their true intentions was enough to keep me safe for a very long time. But, the problem with this wall I had built for myself was that it also managed to keep the good ones at bay as well. Life had become a lonely, unfulfilled thing for me. I desperately wanted to let someone in but my resolve to protect myself was more powerful.